Wow! What an exhilarating day. If you were there, if you weren't there—here is my absolute favorite conference moment:
NCG Annual Conference -Youth Speaks Finale from NorCalGrant on Vimeo.
The amazing poets from Youth Speaks—Obasi Davis, Ash Phillips, and Tassiana Willis—each performed original poems inspired by our conference themes that they created for the occasion. I can’t remember the last time I saw an entire room of conference-goers leap to its feet the way it did when Tassiana concluded her poem. I could not have imagined a better way to send us off.
On behalf of the Board and staff of NCG I want to thank everyone who attended our 2015 Annual Conference, From Ideas to Action, last Wednesday.
While I’m so proud of the great collaborative work NCG staff did with our Conference Partner the Public Policy Institute of California and our Media Partner KQED to make the day such a success, I am still reveling in the electric charge that was in the air. That was all your doing.
Many thanks to so many:
First and foremost, thank you. Thank you for spending a day with us. Thank you for bringing your curiosity, your passion, and your intelligence to the conversations, plenaries, and sessions throughout the day. Thank you for your investing in our community.
Thank you to our members who sponsored the event:
- Silver Sponsor | The California Wellness Foundation
- Bronze Sponsor | Levi Strauss Foundation
- Donor Sponsors | The James Irvine Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, and Kapor Center for Social Impact
Thank you to our speakers and session leaders who offered their perspective and expertise, giving us all much food for thought—and even a few laughs—over the course of the day.
We have uploaded several conference resources to our website. I encourage you to take a look when you have a moment. I am also including the video KQED produced for the event that beautifully illuminates the richness of the people, culture, and communities that comprise our region. This is the reason we all get up and come to work every morning.
The work we do is vitally important. It impacts the communities we live in and the individuals who call it home. I look forward to cultivating deeper connections with you, and to deepening our collective impact as we move forward together.
Best,
Ellen LaPointe
President and CEO
Northern California Grantmakers